With a family history of prostate cancer and an elevated PSA level, 57-year-old Paul Kroger was not content to follow the “wait and see” approach a urologist advised for his early stage diagnosis. The Los Alamitos resident sought a second opinion and a prostate biopsy from UCI Health experts. Using the latest in targeted prostate biopsy technology, urologic oncologist Dr. Edward Uchio discovered that Kroger’s cancer was far more aggressive than originally diagnosed.

“For decades, physicians have faced the challenge of diagnosing prostate cancer utilizing a relatively blind approach to prostate biopsies,” Uchio said. “We can now view prostate lesions while conducting the procedure using a new targeted biopsy system, called Artemis.”

Artemis combines ultrasound with magnetic resonance imaging, commonly known as MRI. The MRI displays a color, three-dimensional image of the prostate on a computer screen. Physicians view prostate lesions in real-time, and guided by ultrasound, insert biopsy needles, ensuring that tissues from all suspect areas are captured.

Traditional ultrasound produces only a two-dimensional image of the prostate, so physicians might not see suspect tissues. The biopsy needle can miss existing cancer cells and extract only healthy tissue, resulting in an inaccurate diagnosis.

Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among American men, according to the American Cancer Society. Although in most cases it is slow-growing and contained within the prostate gland, almost 30,000 men die of prostate cancer each year.

UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 411-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 14 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.